Homeowners furious over rezoning metro property for new Warren Theater

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OKLAHOMA - Dozens of homeowners showed up to a heated meeting over a possible movie theater near 122nd and Eastern.

The developers and City Council John Pettis were at the meeting to answer questions about the Warren Theater project.

People in the area simply don’t want it there.

The area needs to be rezoned for commercial use.

Frustrations boiled over Monday night.

People living near the Kilpatrick and Eastern said they were kept in the dark.

There have also been rumors surrounding the project including the possibility of a casino, because the Chickasaw Nation is tied to the development.

The developers denied that.

The theater would be about half the size as the Warren Theater in Moore.

It would sit at 122nd and Eastern, just south of the turnpike.

People got so angry, at one point, they called out Pettis for receiving campaign contributions from the developer.

“You got contributions from the developer in October, from the Chickasaw Nation in December and, two days later, they filed the PUD application,” Porter Davis told Pettis.

Pettis told the crowd he did receive a campaign contribution from them but said it’s legal.

He then told the crowd he’d have the police officers present escort people out if things kept getting disorderly.

For two hours, people grilled the speakers with questions.

Some were concerned the area can’t handle the traffic.

“I really don't think the city has given the infrastructure the right kind of thought and, by that, I mean, where is the water supposed to go when you have streets that flood on a regular basis and you're going to add more concrete to those areas,” said Gaylene Stupic.

Other homeowners felt left out of the planning.

“It was done sneakily, it was done deceptively, it was done to keep from having what was going on here tonight,” Davis said.

By the end of the meeting, some questions got answered.

“I can assure everyone there will be no casino, and that is not on the Chickasaw Nation's mind at all,” said attorney Paul Lefebvre. “People have a right to be concerned, and they have a right to ask questions.”

Some people just left frustrated.

“Pretty soon, we're going to put up a parking lot on top what used to be paradise,” Davis said.